


Fortune

by akimikono



Series: RWBY One Shots [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol, Birthday Party, Family Dynamics, Fortune Cookies, Gen, Restaurants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22686352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akimikono/pseuds/akimikono
Summary: Qrow, Tai, and the girls go out to eat to celebrate Tai's birthday. They each get a fortune cookie.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & Ruby Rose & Taiyang Xiao Long & Yang Xiao Long
Series: RWBY One Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1631917
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	Fortune

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This was originally posted on the RWBY Amino app by me. If you are interested in commissioning a fanfic featuring your favorite character, OTP, team, OC, or yourself, then please message me!

Qrow did not want to go out on such a night, but he hadn’t been given much of a choice. Between his nieces hounding him nonstop to train or play video games, and Ozpin sending him on missions one right after another, there was very little time to himself. He would rather not spend that precious free time in the presence of people he couldn’t hide from. But it was Taiyang’s birthday and — despite not having much love for birthday celebrations — both men had been convinced (or rather, coerced) into taking Ruby and Yang out to a restaurant to mark another year on Remnant. So after a mere fifteen minutes to get home and clean up, he headed out the door to meet up with the rest of his family. 

  
The restaurant was dimly lit with black and red lacquer screens blocking off the hostess stand from the booths. The screens were decorated in flaking gold images of wheat fields and cranes. There were more people than expected, considering it was a weeknight and there were many other (much better) restaurants in town. There were better restaurants right across the street. Still, Ruby and Yang insisted on this particular restaurant for some reason. 

  
It smelled like smoke and animal fat, and there was a distinct aroma like burnt oil hanging on the air that permeated the vinyl seats. The hostess, a kind but otherwise unremarkable woman in a black and red dress matching the paper screens, led them to their booth near the back of the dining room. She passed out menus that were almost as large as Ruby herself.   
  


“Would you like to hear the specials?” she asked, voice chipper but the bags under her eyes told Qrow that she was exhausted. 

  
“No thanks,” Qrow said, speaking for everyone. He had caught a glimpse of the sandwich board standing in front of the hostess stand that had the day’s specials scrawled across it. 

  
_Leek and Salmon Soup. Liver and Noodles. Bok Choy Salad (sold out)._

  
He thought he would spare the waitress having to exert any more energy than she needed to. 

  
“What can I get you to drink?” 

  
Ruby cleared her throat, folded her hands onto the table and stared at the waitress grimly. “Do you have chocolate milk?” 

  
“We do, but it only comes in small glasses. It’s part of the children’s menu.” 

  
Ruby nodded solemnly, “Make it two chocolate milks, then.” 

  
“I’ll just have water, thanks,” Yang said, smiling brightly. 

  
“Are you sure, Yang?” Tai asked as he thumbed through the menu to the drink selection. “You don’t have to just get water.” 

  
“Yeah, Yang!” Ruby cut in, “Water is _boring_. We can make it three chocolate milks.” 

  
“I’m training for the Vytal Festival, Ruby. I’m not going to have any extra sugar before then.” 

  
“Why? Do you think you’re fat? You aren’t fat! Dad, tell Yang she isn’t fat!” 

  
“You aren’t fat, Yang —” 

  
“I never said I was! But I’m not fourteen anymore! I can’t eat as much sugar as Ruby! I need to be focused and —” 

  
“Chocolate milk helps _me_ focus!” 

  
Qrow sighed, placing his chin in his hand and looked to the waitress. She seemed confused, startled even. She caught his eye and he decided it was now or never if he was going to order. 

  
“I’ll take whatever’s cheapest on your liquor shelf.” 

  
“Uh … okay.” She scribbled it down on her notepad. 

  
“Thanks, hon,” he said, giving her a small wink. 

  
Her face flushed redder than her apron and she stuttered out a question, asking Tai for his drink. 

  
“Ruby, please — just let your sister order what she wants. _Yang, no one is calling you fat._ _Please, just_ — you know what? I’ll take whatever Qrow is having!” Tai motioned wildly toward the man sitting across from him. “I think I could use it!” 

  
Without waiting for another word, the waitress hurried off through the swinging doors into the back of the restaurant. 

  
Qrow rested his head heavier into his palm and tapped the tabletop with his fingertips. He grimaced the moment he realized his fingers were having a hard time bouncing back from the wood. It was coated in something sticky and something that he did _not_ want to be touching. 

  
“Nice place they got here,” he muttered, sitting up and hearing the fabric over his elbow tearing away from the stickiness on the table.

  
The other three settled down enough to gloss over the menu. Ruby had naturally shuffled to the kid’s menu where at least the food sounded edible. Yang was trying to decide what food would benefit her most in the training session that would soon follow after dinner. Tai was staring at the prices listed down the right side of the menu, his eyes widening. For such a dirty restaurant, they sure charged an arm and a leg. 

  
Tai must have spotted something absurdly expensive because he immediately snatched the menus out of everyone’s hand and quickly said, “We’re all just going to share an appetizer and we can eat real food at home.” 

  
“Dad!” Ruby cried, “It’s your birthday! We’re supposed to have a special dinner!” 

  
“Sharing egg rolls is special,” Tai said as the waitress arrived with their drinks. After she distributed the drinks, he handed over the menus. “Which is exactly what we’re going to do. The egg roll appetizer, please. And then that will be it.” 

  
“Perfect!” the waitress said and this time she seemed to genuinely smile. She disappeared to the back again. 

  
“Dad, that’s not _fair_ ,” Ruby gasped as she stuck a straw into the first chocolate milk and slurped it down. “We’ve been waiting _all_ year for your birthday dinner. We’re supposed to treat you!” 

  
“Treat me? Aren’t I paying for this?” 

  
“That’s part of the specialness,” Ruby insisted. 

  
“Yeah, Dad. It’s an honor to be the adult in this group.” 

  
“Nice try, Yang.” 

  
“What? _Somebody_ has to be the adult, and it’s certainly not Ruby or Qrow.” 

  
“Hey, kid,” Qrow muttered, picking up his glass and swirling it around. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but only adults can drink whiskey. And what’s in my glass? That’s right. So that makes me an adult.” 

  
“I’m pretty sure your glass is full of future bad decisions,” Ruby piped up, already halfway through her second glass. 

  
Qrow huffed something like a curse under his breath and finished his glass. Soon the food arrived and the three egg rolls were meticulously split into four equal portions. It was quickly devoured and Tai even had the momentary thought to order something else when Ruby said she might pass out from hunger until he remembered the prices and decided against it. 

  
“Can we at least get a dessert?” Ruby exhaled, throwing her head back against the booth once she finished her final chocolate milk. “I think I’m gonna starve before we get home.” 

  
Yang nodded as she rattled the ice in her empty cup. “I agree.” 

  
“We’ll stop for something cheaper on the way home,” Tai said, throwing a few lien on the table. “Let’s get going.” 

  
They shuffled out of the booths and headed to the door. 

  
“Thank you,” Tai said, waving a hand in passing to the waitress. “Payment and tip are on the table.” 

  
“Oh, did you want a receipt?” 

  
“That’s fine, I don’t need it.” 

  
“How about your fortune cookies?” 

  
“Yes, please!” Ruby and Yang chimed in together. 

  
The waitress dug through her apron pocket and pulled out a few cookies. She handed one to Ruby, Yang, and Tai.

  
“How about you?” she asked Qrow. He grunted and she pulled out another one and put it in his hand, returning his wink from earlier. 

  
“What does yours say?” Yang asked her dad and she broke open her own cookie and stuffed it into her mouth, flattening the paper. 

  
“ _A friendly gathering is in your future_ ,” Tai read from his paper. “Huh, I guess it means this friendly gathering!” He threw his arms around his daughters and squeezed their shoulders. 

  
Ruby chewed on her cookie loudly and read hers. “ _A business deal will succeed and you’ll be recognized for your hard work_. Yang! Do you think this is referring to the Vytal Festival! Do you think I’ll win?!” 

  
“It’s not really a business deal, but maybe it has something to do with a mission we’ll be sent on! Those are business deals, right? Huh, mine says, B _e careful of the company you keep. Not everyone is your friend_. That’s ominous. Why did I get this and you both got really nice ones?” 

  
“It’s probably talking about Weiss,” Ruby said under her breath, then broke out into giggles. “Oh! Please don’t tell her I said that!” 

  
“I’m definitely telling her.” 

  
“Yang! No!” 

  
Qrow rolled his own cookie into his palm for a moment before breaking it open and pulled out the small paper. He smoothed it down and read it over silently. “Hm,” he grumbled, folding it and sticking it into his pocket. 

  
“Uncle Qrow?” Ruby called. 

  
“What?” 

  
“Can I have your cookie?” Her eyes focused on the food in his hands. 

  
“Oh, sure.” He handed the two halves to Ruby. 

“What’d your fortune say?” Yang asked. 

  
“I don’t remember,” Qrow said, heading out the front door. “You guys don’t really believe in that stuff, do you?” 

  
“Only when it’s something good!” Yang grinned at him. 

  
“Tai,” Qrow said as he ambled down the road, hands in his pocket, “why don’t you take Ruby and Yang to get something else to eat? I think I’m going to head home.” 

  
“But —!” Ruby cried, hanging onto Qrow’s arm. “It’s Dad’s birthday! You have to be with us!” 

  
“I was with you, kid. But it’s getting late and I have some business to take care of.” 

  
“Hey, sounds like you needed Ruby’s fortune instead,” said Yang. 

  
“Yeah, I still don’t know what business deal they mean. I can’t really see myself as a businesswoman.” 

  
The girls chattered amongst themselves while Qrow and Tai loitered behind. 

  
“Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” 

  
“Yeah, it’s just that Oz has me doing a lot of things. I’ve got to get back and work. I’m already pretty far behind.” 

  
“We can just get something quick for you to eat.” 

  
“That’s fine, I’m not really that hungry.” 

  
“Well, thanks for coming out anyway.” 

  
“Yeah. Happy birthday.” Qrow ambled down the sidewalk past the girls and nodded at them. “I’ll see you girls around later.” 

  
Yang and Ruby clung to Qrow’s arms again, releasing him only at their dad’s request. They waved goodbye as Qrow disappeared down the street. 

  
An hour later, Qrow was sitting in his apartment, another glass of whiskey in his hand. He stared blankly at the wall for a while before he reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper that he’d hidden there. He unfolded it between his index finger and thumb, and read it over. A small smile spread across his face. 

  
_A happy ending is in your future._

  
He hummed, finished the drink and set the empty glass on the table next to him. “Yeah. We’ll see.” 


End file.
